Inflatable toys



J. H. LEMELSON INFLATABLE TOYS.

Jan. 15, 1963 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1954 INVENTOR. Jerome H.Leme\son 3,073,058 INFLATABLE TOYS Jerome H. Lemelson, 72 Prescott Ave., Staten Island, N.Y.

Original application Feb. 16, 1954, Ser. No. 410,489, new Patent No. 2,916,849, dated Dec. 15, 1959. Divided and this application Dec. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 2,561

5 Claims. (Cl. 46-88) This invention relates to inflatable toys and is a division of application Serial No. 410,489 for Inflatable Toys which was filed on February 16, 1954, and is now Patent #2,916,849.

This invention is particularly concerned with an assembly including a flexible, inflatable toy body and a rigid housing secured thereto in such a manner as to provide a volume defined within the inflatable body which is open to the atmosphere. The structure is particularly useful for retaining such articles as noise making devices of the bellows or gravity actuated type which, if sealed within the inflatable toy, would be difficult to hear from the exterior of the toy.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved structure in an inflatable toy.

Another is to provide an improved inflatable toy assembly including means for retaining a noise making device adjacent the wall of the toy but operable for generating a noise in the atmosphere surrounding the inflatable body of the toy.

Another object is to provide an improved structure in an inflatable toy which may be utilized as a simulated mock toy figure or doll which is operative to provide a crying sound when shifted in attitude.

Another object is to provide an inflatable toy assembly including a cup shaped housing having a flange which is sealed around an opening in the wall of the toy for retaining a noise making device within the confines of said wall but operatively coupled to generate a noise exterior of the inflated volume of the toy.

These as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be best appreciated by reference to the following detailed description which makes reference to the drawing which shows a portion of an inflatable toy assembly with parts broken away for clarity.

Referring now specifically to the drawing, there is shown an inflatable toy it having flexible walls 11, preferably made of thermoplastic, flexible plastic sheeting which is heat sealed to define a mock toy figure having a lower body portion 12 extending to an upper body or head portion 14. Secured to the wall of the lower body portion 12 is a plastic retainer or housing 16 for a noise making device 24 which is illustrated in the drawing as a gravity actuated, bellows noise maker. Such a noise making device as 24 is commonly used in dolls and the like and is often referred to as a doll cryer.

The sub-housing 16 is illustrated as being provided with a cylindrical side wall 18 terminating at a flat bottom wall portion 20. The upper portion or rim of the housing 16 is formed with a flange 22 which circumscribes the open end of said housing. The housing 16 is illustrated as being secured to the front wall 13 of the toy and projects into the volume defined by the flexible walls of the inflatable toy, which volume is pressurized to inflate said atent 0 "ice toy. The major portion of the housing 16 is therefore substantially retained within the interior volume of the inflatable toy and is substantially hidden from view as is the conventional cryer used in the conventional doll.

Housing 16 is secured to the flexible wall of the inflatable toy 10 by projecting said housing through an opening in the wall 13 which is of such a diameter or shape that the flange 22 overlaps material surrounding the wall. A circumscribing heat seal S is effected between the flange and the material it overlaps for both retaining said housing in assembly with the wall of the inflatable toy and effecting a pressure seal or closure across said opening therein.

While the housing may be provided completely open to the atmosphere at its end, a more suitable construction is illustrated in which a section 26 of flexible plastic material is secured across the opening in housing 16 to define what may appear to be a portion of the wall of the inflatable toy. Notation H refers to openings in the housing 25 for the bellows crier 24 and H to openings in flexible cover member 26 permitting noise generated within 24 to pass therethrough and to be clearly heard from the exterior of the toy. When sealed and completely retained within the pressurized volume 15, the noise is generated by the crier 24 when the weight therein is caused to move such as when the toy is changed in attitude.

The described construction in an inflatable toy may be utilized for providing noise mechanisms of superior operating characteristics within inflatable toys which may be substantially hidden from view yet may be clearly heard from the exterior of the toy.

A latitude of modification and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and certain features of the invention will be used in certain instances without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. An inflatable toy comprising in combination with an inflated hollow body made of air impervious, flexible sheet material which defines an enclosure, a retainer housing made of rigid thermoplastic material and having a substantially cylindrical side wall, the wall of said housing being air impervious and being closed at the bottom, the open end of said housing having a circumscribing flange extending laterally thereabout, a circular cut-out in the wall of said enclosure of greater diameter than said housing side wall, said flange being welded in a circumscribing heat seal to the material of the wall of said enclosure which borders said cut-out whereby said rigid housing provides a permanent closure with said enclosure wall, the body of said retainer housing projecting into the volume defined by the walls of said enclosure, a noisemaking device provided within said housing, means for retaining said noisemaking device therein, the rigidity of said retainer housing being sufficient for it to self retain its shape against the pressure exerted against its walls when the toy is inflated, said housing defining a sub-volume within said hollow body which is open to the atmosphere and in which a noise may be generated by said noisemaking device which is clearly audible from the exterior of said toy.

2. An inflatable toy in accordance with claim 1 in which the open end of the rigid housing has a cover extending thereacross and secured to the body, there being an opening in said cover through which sounds which are generated Within the housing may be heard from theexterior thereof.

3. An inflatable toy in accordance with claim 1 in which said noisemaking device comprises a bellows type of noisemaker which occupies substantially the entire interior volume of the housing.

4. An inflatable toy in accordance with claim 3 in which said bellows noisernaking device is a gravity actuated crier which will generate a noise which is clearly audible from the exterior of the toy when the attitude of the inflated body is changed.

5. An inflatable toy in accordance with claim 2 in 15 which said cover for said rigid housing comprises a patch of flexible sheet material which is secured to the wall of the inflated body surrounding said cutout.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,709,341 DaCosta Apr. 23, 1929 1,998,082 Grubman Apr. 16, 1935 2,487,546 Harrowe NOV. 8, 1949 2,559,909 Wescott July 10, 1951 2,701,934 Auzin Feb. 15, 1955 2,906,058 Barker Sept. 29, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 880,568 Germany June 22, 1953 894,223 Germany Oct. 22, 1953 

1. AN INFLATABLE TOY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION WITH AN INFLATED HOLLOW BODY MADE OF AIR IMPERVIOUS, FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL WHICH DEFINES AN ENCLOSURE, A RETAINER HOUSING MADE OF RIGID THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL, THE WALL OF SAID HOUSING BEING AIR IMPERVIOUS AND BEING CLOSED AT THE BOTTOM, THE OPEN END OF SAID HOUSING HAVING A CIRCUMSCRIBING FLANGE EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREABOUT, A CIRCULAR CUT-OUT IN THE WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN SAID HOUSING SIDE WALL, SAID FLANGE BEING WELDED IN A CIRCUMSCRIBING HEAT SEAL TO THE MATERIAL OF THE WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE WHICH BORDERS SAID CUT-OUT WHEREBY SAID RIGID HOUSING PROVIDES A PERMANENT CLOSURE WITH SAID ENCLOSURE WALL, THE BODY OF SAID RETAINER HOUSING PROJECTING INTO THE VOLUME DEFINED BY THE WALLS OF SAID ENCLOSURE, A NOISEMAKING DEVICE PROVIDED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID NOISEMAKING DEVICE THEREIN, THE RIGIDITY OF SAID RETAINER HOUSING BEING SUFFICIENT FOR IT TO SELF RETAIN ITS SHAPE AGAINST THE PRESSURE EXERTED AGAINST ITS WALLS WHEN THE TOY IS INFLATED, SAID HOUSING DEFINING A SUB-VOLUME WITHIN SAID HOLLOW BODY WHICH IS OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND IN WHICH A NOISE MAY BE GENERATED BY SAID NOISEMAKING DEVICE WHICH IS CLEARLY AUDIBLE FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID TOY. 